“We could have never made this dream a reality without the help of
our mentor, Krishna Akella,” the couple said. “We had a dream, but our skills
are in the kitchen, not with spreadsheets and financial projections. Krishna
spent endless hours patiently walking through the process with us. The road was
long, longer than we thought it would be, but it felt important to keep going.”
Jemil, a 2017 Restaurant Association
Metropolitan Washington RAMMY Best Pastry Chef winner, creates fresh gelato,
while Sally, who has nearly a decade of experience as an executive pastry chef
at The Hamilton in Washington D.C. makes bakery goods and manages the business.
The dozen gelato traditional and unique flavors change
weekly. Similarly, Sally likes to keep customers on their toes in terms of
which bakery treats she’ll have available.
“We don’t stick to any strict menu,” she said. “I
don’t want it to be something that’s too committal. I like people to be
curious.”
Some of the popular items include chocolate chip
cookies and galette (a French pastry like a pie or tart). Panna also serves
scratch-made breakfast pastries and desserts, as well as coffee, and fresh
specialty Italian products. Panna takes orders and offers catering, but does
not bake layered cakes, such as birthday cakes.
Akella commended the Gadeas for their early success, especially given the
challenges of relocating, selling their property in Maryland, and raising their
daughter, Sofia.
“Kudos to both of you for staying focused and making the Panna
Gelateria dream come to fruition,” Akella said. “I personally think that you
can make anything, or any new dream happen with your combined strengths and
focus - like selling a million gelatos by the end of this decade.”
The Yardley community has wholeheartedly embraced Panna Gelateria,
which is in the heart of the borough at 25 S. Main Street.
“The response of support and enthusiasm from our local community
has been overwhelming and wonderful,” Sally Gadea said. “When we chose the
location, we factored the nearby businesses and the local farmers market, but
we could have never expected the most important aspect, which is that Yardley
has a lot of local pride and shows up for small businesses.”
Looking ahead, Sally hopes to increase the number of days the
business is open next spring, add a manager and more staff. She and Jemil have
also discussed possibly buying a gelato cart for use at weddings, festivals, and
farmers markets. Eventually, they may also expand to a second location.
“We are excited to keep walking this path and see what’s next,”
she said. “It’s helpful to know we can reach out to Krishna or SCORE for
assistance as we grow.”
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more
than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE
provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000
new and growing small businesses.?With 50 members across the
county, SCORE Bucks?County?provides over 1,500 free
mentoring services annually to local small business owners
through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars. To stay up to
date on news and happenings, join SCORE Bucks County’s email list. Text
SCOREBUCKS to 22828.
